, 1887-10-01

two points, and won the race by the mas
terly manner in which she went to the
windward. The first tack, which was a
long one, seven miles, virtually dec ded
the race.
The Volunteer beat to windward of the
Thistle in a way that satisfied all specta
tors who knew anything about it, that the
American BOAT would win. On each tack
that followed the Volunteer continued to
get to windward and get ahead as well.
The Volunteer not only ~outpointed her
rival, but oultooted her as well. Tack
after tack showed the same thing, and
tack after tack showed that the sloop was
beating the cutter. There could b, no
mistake about it. The Volunteer took
FIVE tacks in reaching the outer mark, and
the Thistle required six. Everytime the
cutter went about she did it sooner than
the sloop.
The wind at the start was blowing
about twenty miles an hour. II main
tanned that velocity all the way out, ex
cept during a period of perhaps twenty
minutes, when il let down considerably,
during which time the Thistle people
claimed they were becalmed. while the
Volunteer held the wind. Really, the con
testants were equally afflicted. The Vol
unteer rounded the outer mark in 2 hours,
&c minutes and 40 seconds; the Thistle in
. hours, Al minutes.
The yachts set their spinakers coming
home and the question as to whether the
broad cutter could go fast enough before
the wind to make up the others gain ia
windward was to be decided. The Vol
unteer had the lead fully two and a half
minutes, when the Thistle rounded and
that was not diminished very much on
the run.
The Thistle was the first to take in her
spinaker, but the Volunteer followed suit
Immediately. This move was occasioned
by the fact that neither boat could make
the light ship with the wind aft, and a
haul-up was necessary. On the run home
the wind let up as well. 1t dropped to
ten miles an hour. The steamboats, had
much trouble in getting back to the fin
lshing line in time to see the Volunteer
successfully defend the American cup, as
most of them waited to see the Thistle
round the outer mark. That detained
them nearly fifteen minutes, but once
under way for home they maintained a
speed, and leaving the Thistle far astern,
they got there in time to see the Ameri
can sloop cross the line, the winner by IL
minutes, 4S4 seconds.
IN the windward work the Volunteer
beat the Thistle in 4 minutes 49f sec
onds. On the run before the wind the
Thistle beat the Volunteer 2 minutes
SAY seconds.
After the race Mr.. Bell admitted that
the Volunteer with her center board had
fairly beaten the Thistle in thrashing to
windward. lie insisted, however. that
the course laid out by the America
cup committee were unfair. He said
that he fully expected to win the inside
race and the triangular. or the third race,
because he had no doubt the Thistle
could easily beat the sloop in running
and reaching.
Mr.. Bell added that the Thistle was for
sale at $4,000 and that if a purse were
offered for another race she would be en-
tered. He had nothing to say about the
foul condition of the bottom of the This
tie to day, aud her designer, G. L. Wat
son, and Capt. Barr, both admitted that
the Thistle had been beaten in windward
work and hat the centreboard had large
ly helped to do it.
Mr. Bell, correspondent for the Glas
gov Herald, says that a challenge for the
cup will surely come next year.